Global Methanol Industry- Possible Future Developments?

Simon Zhang

31 July 2017

Synthetic Materials, Chemicals2

1859 1900

First oil well

1930

1970

Deep oil wells

Offshore wells

Biofuels

Modern Day

Tar Sands

Arctic Oil

Synthetic Oil

A Century of Oil

ApplicationsProduction

1880s

Cars

1890s

Trucks

1890s

Air Planes

Modern Day

?

A Century of Electricity

ApplicationsProduction

1880s

First coal power plant

1900s

Hydroelectric

1910s

Geothermal

1980s

Solar PV

Gas turbines

1950s

Nuclear

1930s

1970s

Wind

2000s

Offshore Wind

Solar CSP

1980s

?

1880s

1940s

1910s

Light Bulb Radio

1920s

TVComputer

Appliances

Batteries

1950-1970s1910-1950s

Age of portability (1970s-)

4

Methanol Production Roadmap

Almost carbon-neutral

ULEReady for

large-scale deployment

Ready for pilot

testing

Phase ICarbon-Intensive

Phase IICarbon-Light

Phase IIICarbon-Neutral

1G-Coal 2G-Gas 3G-Gas 3G-Coal 4G-Biomass 5G

Coal

Gas

Renewable

Nuclear

Biomass

CO2 Capture

NewTechnologies

Existing Technologies

Deployed in China

Deployed worldwide

5

Methanol Application RoadmapElectricity, Heat and Mobility

Turbines Fuel cells Engines

Utility scale power generation

Off-grid power generation

Industrial

TransportationResidential applications – Dimethyl-ether (DME), derived from methanol, can be used as fuel

for cooking, space heating, water heating

Burners